Will depth perception be an issue for Florida, Auburn?

With his team entering the SEC tournament on a 3-point hot streak, Auburn coach Jeff Lebo said he's a little concerned about the depth perception for shooters at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

"It's probably a little better that in the big domes, but you get in these tournaments and it's kind of odd playing in them (dome-type venues),'' Lebo said. "Those that play in big arenas I think have a little bit of an advantage.''

Lebo said the depth perception, combined with the fact that the teams play with brand new, "not broken in'' balls was always a challenge when he was a player, and he believes it could be a factor for SEC teams this week.

But UF coach Billy Donovan said he's unsure if depth perception will be a big issue for his shooters tonight.

"I do know the depth perception for me, as a former player, was always different in a dome setting,'' Donovan said. "I always thought it was really, really hard to shoot in a dome. This is definitely more of an arena setting, so I don't know how much the depth perception plays into this arena. It appears coming in here like it's a good place to shoot.'

In Thursday's first game, both South Carolina and Alabama struggled with 3-point shooting.

"If we don't shoot well, I'll use it as an excuse,'' Donovan jokingly said.

About the blog

Florida Gators fans, welcome to the Gator Report for all your news about Gators football, basketball and all UF sports. It's written by the staff of the Tampa Bay Times. We invite your comments and participation.